Ditching and dredging machine.



No. 695,258. Patented Mar. ll, I902;v

- C. E. WILSON.

DITCHING AND DBEDGING MACHINE.

=Applicntion filed Sept. 4, M501.)

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 695,258. Patented Mar. ll, 190*2. C. E. WILSON.

DITCH ING AND DREDGING MACHINE. (Application flledept. 4, 1901. (NoModel.) 4 Shaets8heet 2.

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- Patented Mar. ll, I902. C. E. WILSON.

DITCHING AND DBEDGING MACHINE.

Applinatinn filed Sept. 4,. 1901.)

4 Sheets- Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS THE uomus Pzrzns cu, Puoraumu. wAswncToN,n. c,

UNITED STATns PATENT @Trron.

CHARLES E. WILSON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

DlTCl-ilNG AND DREDGING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,258, dated March11, 19 02.

Application filed September 4, 1901- Serial, No. 74,275. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. WILsON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented anew and Improved Ditching and Dredging Machine, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an apparatus for ditching and dredging. It isapplicable to both land and marine purposes, but as here shown is in theform of a ditcher.

This specification is the specific disclosure of one form of myinvention, while the claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view.Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 3 3 of i Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is asection on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 7 isan enlarged vertical section of one of the buckets and its chute,showing the latter in clined into dumping position.

The apparatus is provided with a suitable framing 10, which when adaptedfor use on land,as shown in the accompanying drawings, is mounted onwheels 11. The framing or base 10 carries a suitable motor apparatus 12,and, if desired, one or more of the wheels 11 may be connected with themotor, so that the apparatus will be steadily advanced according to theamount of material excavated.

14 represents an essentially triangularshaped rocker mounted on the baseor frame 10 to swing around a circle-point 15.

16 indicates a cable connected to the rocker 14 and leading to asuitable Winding apparatus 17, by means of which the rocker 14 and theparts attached thereto may be raised or lowered to adjust the excavatingdevices, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The rocker 14 projects rearward beyond the frame 10 and carries at itsrear extremity a wheel 18, on which the dredging or excavating devicesare carried. The wheel 18 is provided at each side adjacent to itsperiphery with crown-gears 19 in mesh with pinions 20,

carried on shafts 21, mounted on the rocker 14.

2 indicates bevel-gears fastened, respectively, to the shafts 21 and inmesh with corresponding gears 23 on the shaft 15, said shaft forming thecenter around which the rocker 14 turns. The shaft 15 is driven by atrain of gears 24, suitably connected with the motor, as shown. By meansof this mechanism the wheel 18 is rotated continuously irrespective ofits adjustments, which are effected by therocker 14.

Oarriedon the wheel 18 are the excavatingbuckets 25. These buckets arepreferably four in number, quartered on the wheel, and they areprovided, as best shown in Fig. 3, with side walls made up of sections26, hingedly mounted at opposite sides. These sections are kept closednormally by lever-latches 27. (Best shownin Fig. 5.) Thelever-latchesare fulcrumed on the wheel 18 and are pressed into active position bysprings 28. (See Fig. 5.) The latches are thrown outward. to release thesections 26 of the buckets 25 by means of a rock-shaft 29, connectedwith the latches 27 by a crank-disk 30 and links 31.

In radial line with each bucket 25 is a dumping-chute, comprising acentral web or partition 32 and side walls or flanges 33, these partsforming the double chute, as best indicated in Figs. 4, 5, and 7. Thechutes are hung pivotally on arms 34, fastened rigidly to the wheel 18.The chutes are held normally in the plane of the wheel by means oflatches 35, which are engaged with the inner ends of the webs orpartitions 32 and pressed into active position by means of springs 36.(See Figs. 3 and 4.) As the chutes swing around the pivots on the arms34 they wipe gear-segments 37 against pinions 38, carried on rockshafts39, mounted on the wheel independently of the chutes. These shafts 39carry, respectively, crank -disks 30, and consequently as the chutesswing out of the plane of the wheel 18 the elements 30 and 31 areactuated to throw the latches 27 into inactive position, thus allowingthe sections26 of the bucket 25 to swing inward and dump the contents ofthe bucket into the chute. (See Fig.

7.) This operation takes place when the bucket is uppermost on theWheel. (See top of Fig, 3.) As the chute swings backward to its normalposition (see Fig. 4) it wipes its in clined upper end against thesections 26 of the bucket 25 and causes them to swing backward intoclosed position, in which adjustment they are held by the latches 27,which again become active. This closing action is assisted toward itsend by a roller 40, carried on the top end of the chute, and when thesections 26 are closed the roller bears under them. (See Fig. 4.) Eachchute is provided with a crown-gear 41, fastened to the side thereofconcentric with the pivot of the chute at the arms 34. With thesecrown-gears mesh toothed sectors 42, which are one for each chute, andmounted on the wheel to turn around pivots at the points 43. (See Figs.1 and 3.) As the sectors 42 are thrown-in one direction or the otherthey impart a swinging movement to the chutes, and thus the chutes maybe caused to swing outward at either side of the wheel, so as to throwthe contents of the bucket laterally clear of the wheel. Each sector 42is provided with a tail 44, said tails having transverse pins running inarc-shaped slots 45 in the wheel 18. These transverse pins of the tails44 carry rollers 46, which lie on the outside of the wheel in positionto engage a switch-point 47, lying in the path of the rollers 46, asthey move around with the.

wheel 18. This switch-point is pivoted at the point 48 on an arm 49,whichis carried on the axle of the wheel 18 and adjustably fastened tothe rocker 14, through the medium of a bolt 50, working in a slot 51 inthe arm 49. (See Figs. 1, 3, and 6.) The switch-point 47 has located ateach side thereof a rail 52, these rails being fastened on the arm 49.As the wheel 18 turns it wipes the rollers 46 against the switch-point47, and according to the posi'tion in which the switch-point is thrownthe roller 46 is caused to move sidewise, carrying with it the sector42. As the wheel continues its movement the roller 46 rides off of theswitch-point 47 and onto one of the rails 52, thus holding the sector inthe position in which it is thrown until the continuing movement of thewheel '18 causes the roller to disengage the rail 52, and thus permitthe sector to return to its normal position, said return being broughtabout by the gravity of the chute 32, to which the sector is connectedthrough the medium of the gear 41.

The switch-point 47 is movable between two stops 53, carried on the arm49, and this movement of the switch -point is brought about by means ofa rod 54, connected with the switch-point by a pin and slot, asindicated in Fig. 1. The rod 54 extends through a hand-lever 65, mountedon the rocker 14, andanoperator standing at this lever may throw theswitch-point to incline the chute to either side of the wheel 18, as maybe desired. Fastened to the arm 49 is a rail 56, which is locatedadjacent to the axis of the wheel 18 and in the path of lateralextensions 57, formed on the latches 35, said extensions projectingthrough arc-shaped slots in the wheel 18. Therefore as the wheel 18revolves the extensions 57 of the latches 35 are successively presentedto the rail 56, and this causes the latches to be thrown inward againstthe tendency of the springs 36, thus releasing the chutes. As the chutesreturn to their normal position (see Fig. 4) the lower end of the web 32rides against the latches 35 and automatically engages therewith, thelatches having inclined surfaces to facilitate this operation, as shownin Fig. 4.

Assuming the apparatus to be constructed as described and the variousparts assembled as in Fig. 1, the rotation of the wheel 18 will causethe buckets-25 to scoop up the earth,

in the ditch, asshown. As the rotation of the wheel in the direction ofthearrow in Fig. 3 raises a loaded bucket tothe position shown theprojection 57 of the corresponding latch 35 will ride against the rail56 and the chute adjacent to said bucket will be released. The operatorstationed at the lever-.65 should now throw the lever so as to adjustthe switchpoint 47 for tilting the chute to that side of the wheel onwhich it is desired to dump the load of the bucket. This done, theroller 46 rides on the switch-point 47 and the sector 42 is thrown, thusthrowing the chute laterally, so that its discharge end projects beyondthe side of the wheel 18. As the chute is thrown to one side itcausesone of the gear-segments 37 to mesh with and turn the adjacentpinion 38, thus rocking the shaft 39 and releasing the latches 27. Thesections 26 of the bucket now drop by gravity, and the load of thebucket is dumped upon the chute along which said load passes and isdischarged at one side of the machine. The roller 46 will by-this timehave run off the rail 52 with which it was engaged and the gravity ofthe chute will return the chute and the sector 42 to their normalposition. The roller 40 will close the sections 26 of the bucket 25 andthe springs 28, will return the latches 27 to active position. Therotation of the wheel continues until the next bucket arrives at thedumping position, whereupon the above-described operation will berepeated.

I have not shown the gearing for driving the wheels 11, as this will beobvious to all persons skilled in the art, and by driving these wheelsthe apparatus maybe advanced steadily against the bank of the ditch intime with the excavating action of the machine.

In adapting the apparatus for marine purposes it will obviously have tobe mounted upon a suitable vessel and this vessel propelled as the workof the excavating-wheel progresses. Owing to the chutes, which-aretiltable to either side desired, the material excavated may beconveniently dumped into scows lying alongside of the vessel whichcarries the excavating apparatus.

Various changes in the forms, proportions, and minor details of myinvention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thusforming the ditch, the wheel lying partly thereof, as I consider myselfentitled to all such variations as may lie within the scope of myclaims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination with a support, of a wheel mountedthereon, an excavating device carried thereby, and a chute into whichthe excavating device discharges its load, said chute lying normally inthe plane of the wheel and being movable to one side to discharge thematerial excavated.

2. The combination with a support, of a wheel mounted thereon, anexcavating device carried by the wheel, a chute carried by the wheel andreceiving the load of the excavating device, the chute normally lying inthe plane of the wheel, and means for throwing the chute to project itsdischargcendlaterally beyond the wheel, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination with a support, of a wheel mounted thereon, anexcavating device carried by the wheel, a chute mounted on the wheel toreceive theload of the excavating device, the chute being movablelaterally for the purpose specified, and means controlling the dischargeof the excavating device, said means being actuated by the lateralmovement of the chute.

l. The combination with a support, of a wheel mounted thereon, anexcavating device carried by the wheel, a chute movably mounted on thewheel and receiving the load of the excavating device, means forthrowing the chute laterally for the purpose specified, and an operatingdevice for said means, the operating device being mounted stationarywith respect to the wheel and having the chuteoperating means movedagainst it by the rotation of the wheel.

5. The combination of a support, a wheel mounted thereon, an excavatingdevice carried by the wheel, a chute carried by the wheel to receive theload of the excavating'device, the chute being movable laterally for thepurpose specified, means controlling the dumping of the excavatingdevice, such means being actuated by the movement of the chute,operating means for the chute, and a device held stationary with respectto the wheel against which device the chute-operating means are moved,whereby to actuate them.

6. The combination of a support, a wheel mounted to turn thereon, anexcavating device carried on the wheel, a chute carried on the wheel andmovable laterally forthe purpose specified, a latch for holding thechute within the plane of the wheel, the latch being carried by thewheel, and a member stationary with respect to the wheel against which apart of the latch is movable to release the latch.

7. The combination of a support, a Wheel mounted thereon, an excavatingdevice carried by the wheel, a chute mounted on the wheel and movablelaterally'for the purpose specified, means controlling the dumping ofthe excavating device, a gear in connection with said means, and agear-segment carried by the chute and movable into mesh with said gear,whereby periodically to set to operation the means for controlling thedumping of the excavating device.

8. The combination with a carrying means, of anexcavating device,comprising a section movable to dump the excavating device, a chutereceiving the load of the excavating'device, a latch for normallyholding the movable section of the excavating device in closed position,means for operating the latch, a gear attached to said means, and agear-segment carried by the chute and movable into mesh with the saidgear for the purpose specified.

9. The combination of a support, a wheel mounted thereon, an excavatingdevice carried by the wheel and comprising a movable section, a latchcarried by the wheel and holding said section normally closed, arock-shaft, a connection between the rock shaft and latch, a gearcarried by the rock-shaft, a movable chute carried by the wheel andreceiving the load of the excavating device, and a gear-segment on thechute, and movable therewith into mesh with the pinion on the rockshaftfor the purpose specified.

10. The combination with a support, of a wheel mounted thereon, anexcavating device carried by the wheel, a chute movably mounted on thewheel and receiving the load of the excavating device, a gear on thechute, a toothed sector carried on the wheel and meshed with the gear,and a means stationary with respect to the wheel for throwing thetoothed sector, thereby to tilt the chute.

11. The combination with a support, of a wheel mounted thereon, anexcavating device carried by the wheel, a tiltable chute carried by thewheel, a gear on the chute, a toothed sector on the wheel and meshedwith the gear,and a switch-point adjustably mounted independently of theWheel and against which switch-point a part of the sector is movable,for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. WILSON.

Witnesses: w

H. L. ALLOORN, A. KRAFT.

